Return to Avalon
by TheRestIsRustAndStardust
Summary: A sequel to "I Think Our Neighbor's A Fairy". Five years have passed since the "Faerie Ring Incident", and Ferb hates everything magic. What happens when he must return to Avalon to defeat the evil Queen Mab and become the heir to Oberon's Kingdon?
1. Prologue

_Somewhere on Avalon..._

Peaseblossom inhaled a deep breath, gasping for air after the horrific dream had gripped her mind and thrown it for loops. "Oh dear...Oh, oh no...No, it cannot be!"

The whole forest was still and silent this Midsummer's night, with seemingly nothing out of the ordinary...

...And that was exactly the problem; this was Avalon, land of the fair folk. It was almost never quiet, with fairies dancing into the wee hours and crickets chirping. The fairy woman tried to shake off the coat of bad omens from her person. Dreams were only the work of Morpheus, and everybody with a brain knew that he was a spiteful jackass. He was probably just punishing her for eating his piece of cake. But then again...

Peaseblossom shuddered as she remembered the hollow sound of the voice, the dripping of stagnant water, and the horrible stench of death that surrounded her. In her dream, she was laying in a human rain gutter, so very near to death, so very close to closing her eyes and never seeing her beloved Avalon or her precious Fenella ever again. Poor Blossom tried to cry out, but her mouth had been sealed shut with a spiderweb. And then, IT happened. IT was the thing that was dreaded on Avalon. Could Ragnarok finally be coming by Her hand? Wasn't She supposedly imprisoned deep within the molten iron core of the earth?

Before Peaseblossom floated a three-inch tall faerie, purple with long hair flowing of its own accord like snakes on the head of Medusa. Looking into her face was like peering into the eyes of the Reaper himself. And from out her lips came a sinister, cackling phrase...

"_O, then, I see Queen Mab hath been with you..."_ And Peaseblossom woke up screaming. _Somewhere, in a house in Danville..._

_It was five years ago today_, Ferb thought as he sat on the couch, scanning a little television and trying to will back unpleasant memories. _Five years since that ugly mess with Cobweb and Robin and P. B..._It made him a little sick to think about. Everyone around him, save his parents, knew why he despised this day, though it remained unsaid. It was an ugly secret, a blight on his life that he needed to keep in the dark. From that day on, he hated everything to do with magic and the paranormal. He barely went out for Halloween and had to be dragged to the principal's office when he started having flashbacks and freaking out halfway through A Midsummer Night's Dream. He had curled up in a ball under his desk and refused to move until eventually Ms. Wilson picked him up and carried him to the office. Word spread quickly about him and he soon found himself with the nickname "Fairy Phobia Fletcher". His brother, God love him, stood up for him to the bitter end, but it was still a miracle that the high-school boys didn't rip him apart. Of course, it wasn't Phineas's fault, or his own. It was something that he wished had never happened and would never forget. But he was a tough kid and could stick it out.

He had just gotten back from the library and was flipping through "Dandelion Wine" for his Advanced Lit summer project when the news story popped up, leaving his blood cold.

The anchorwoman smiled away gleefully, recounting the news. "I'm here at the Danville Museum of Natural History with a local archaeologist who says he's made an _amazing _discovery!"

The camera closed in on a middle-aged man with thick glasses and balding hair. "Diana, I believe I have made an earth-shattering discovery! Right here, in Danville, I uncovered a slab of solid marble with strange writing, writing not usually found anywhere outside of Celtic ruins."

The pathetic anchor smiled away. "Well, what does it say?"

The man adjusted his glasses and said, "It appears to be a prophecy of some sort! It reads; _When darkness overcomes us all, even Oberon may fall. He fell to us from Earthen sky, his praises we will sing on high. The mortal child, all alone, must rise above to take the throne. We restlessly must scour the Earth for Faerie Prince of Human Birth_..?" The man stared curiously. "That is SOME bedtime story!"

The household was quiet for a minute. He tried to deny it, pretended that it was some other person mentioned there. But it was futile.

Ferb Fletcher, now fifteen, was the heir to the Seelie Throne.


	2. Storms Rising

Ferb kept to himself the rest of the day. Phineas pondered where he was, of course, but knew that it was best to give the boy his space whenever he needed it. Ever since Vanessa went off to college, he became more reclusive than ever, though the brothers still got along well enough. He was, in Phineas's mind, a lot like a stray cat; he stayed in one place for the most part, but if he wasn't seen for a few days at a time it wasn't any cause for worry. He always came back to where he was comfortable and happy, usually the tree in the backyard or their room. If Ferb didn't want company, he could always go over to see Isabella or Buford, even Baljeet, since he was home from college. And he always had Perry.

Phineas didn't care to admit it, but around this time each year he honestly feared for his brother's welfare. Even though the boy was nearly grown, he couldn't help but fear that his scarring memories would eventually bring him down. It was hard enough for him since he skipped a grade, being in with the older kids who treated the newcomer like some sort of science experiment, always trying to dissect and explain him. But after the Midsummer Night's Dream incident and being stuck with the unfortunate nickname of "Fairy Boy", he'd been having a lot of trouble. Indeed, Phin hoped that it wasn't the date that was keeping his brother away, but maybe his summer project or just something that caught his interest.

Perry chattered, waddling up towards his boy. "Oh, there you are Perry." He scratched the Platypus's head, sighing. "Man, I _still _can't figure out where the heck you go..."

The monotreme was about to purr when a loud burst of thunder exploded in the distance. In an instance, rain pulsated down with no warning. "Now that was weird...It was just perfectly sunny." He frowned, picking up his pet platypus and ambling indoors.

_Somewhere on Tory Island..._

A middle-aged couple wearing blood-red robes stood on the island, holding their hands out to embrace the rain. The man giggled madly. "The Nightmare Queen Awakens tonight, my love!" His green eyes were full of psychotic glee. "The Unseelie Heiress shall rule again! We Children will never again have to cater to those infantile mortals again!"

The woman pushed a lock of curly blond hair behind her head. "They disgust me, my love. So pink and fleshy and _horribly _stupid!" She frowned. "Why must we disguise ourselves as them? This island is uninhabited!"

The man smiled gently."This is only a precaution. Soon, we will be again worshiped as Gods the way it _should _be."

The ground on the island started cracking as the rain pounded and whipped harder.

Queen Mab was being set free.

_**[A/N: Tory Island, in Gargoyles Lore at least, is the place where Queen Mab (Oberon's Mother) was imprisoned in the center of the Earth. The faeries call themselves Children, short for Children of Oberon, not because they are his ACTUAL children, but because he is their leader. I'm sorry that there wasn't much action here, but I wanted to get some exposition done first. ^-^]**_


	3. The Will O The Wisp

While the storm pounded at the roof of the house, Ferb sat quietly at the home's computer, trying to take his mind off of the chilling prophecy. _It doesn't necessarily mean me, _he thought shakily. _I'm sure that plenty of people fell into Avalon before, changelings, clumsy fae..._While he tried to get rid of the unpleasant words of the Celtic stone, a knock at the door startled him out of his chair. "Hey, Ferb! Whatcha doin'?", Isabella asked chipperly. Ferb shrugged, ushering her in. She continued. "I was just walking home from the library when this freakish storm hit, and I thought I'd stop by to say hello, and maybe dry off before I go home."

"Hey Isabella." Phineas waved to the girl next door, offering her a spot on the sofa. Though the years didn't change his obliviousness, he had become a little more interested in her than he had before, now noticing the beauty in her uncorrupted innocence. "What have you got there?"

Isabella smiled, sitting next to him. "It's a book of mythology from the library. It's funny, really; I've never seen it there before. It just...called to me, I guess."

Phineas looked down at it quizzically, not noticing the grimace of discomfort on his sibling's face. "Myths and Mysteries of the Seelie Realm? Huh. Never heard of it before...Can I see?"

"Knock yourself out."

He flipped through a few pages before stopping. "Look at this one. The Will O The Wisp. Aren't those the little spirit balls from D and D?"

Isabella shrugged. "Read what it says and find out."

He nodded, reading, "_The will o the wisp is the immortal heart of a magical spirit. When one of Oberon's Children is slain, the heart lives on as a benign or malevolent ball of energy, depending on if the Child is Seelie or Unseelie. A faerie heart can never be destroyed unless pierced with either iron or a Holy object._" He cocked his head, looking at a bit of fine print that seemed to shimmer. "_See; Oberon's Heir, Page 54._" He narrowed his eyes, tossing the book to the couch. "If I never see Oberon's ANYTHING again, it'll be too soon." His voice held a trace of bitterness; he would never forget what the Faerie King had tried to do. Breaking from his thoughts and gazing around the room, Phin noticed something. "Hey, where'd Ferb go?"

He was in his room, feeling a need to get away from the faerie talk, and in any case, he felt like being alone. He had been awake all night the previous night and felt like taking a bit of a nap.

_On Avalon..._

Peaseblossom bowed low, reporting the news to her Lord and Master, Oberon. "...And that is what happened, My Lord. The dream itself was unsettling, but combined with the earthquake on Tory Island and the sudden awful storms, I am afraid the evidence is too great to ignore."

Oberon's voice shook with fear and anger. "You do not mean to imply, my servant, that-"

"Indeed, Your Majesty, I do."

"My mother, the Nightmare Mistress, has risen." His head bowed low as he contemplated what to do. "Everyone, leave me at once."

Titania, his beloved wife, piped up, "But my love, I must help you, mustn't I?"

Lord Oberon shook his head. "I must do this alone, Titania. Please escort Peaseblossom and Robin out."

She nodded somberly. "As you wish, My Lord." With that, the Faerie Queen ushered her subjects away.

Oberon gritted his teeth as he closed his eyes, concentrating all of his energy into his fingertips. While he concentrated, a dim, hazy light began to form in the middle of his hands, growing brighter, sharper and rounder every second until it resembled a miniature sun. The faerie king breathed deeply, opening his eyes and breaking his focus. The little ball of light floated toward him until they saw "eye" to eye. Oberon smiled sadly. "My son...You know why I have called you here, do you not?"

The will o the wisp pulsated, seeming to mean "yes". Oberon finished, "My son, The Nightmare Queen walks among us again, as you know. It will not be long before she seeks to kill me in vengeance. You know who the heir is. Now find him." The spirit ball did what looked like nuzzling his cheek before vanishing in thin air.

Oberon lowered his head in shame and mourning. "My son...I'm sorry."

_Back in Danville..._

Phineas re-entered the living room to see Isabella reading furiously. He had walked into his and Ferb's room to see his brother asleep and decided to let him. He wasn't going to wake him up, and watching him would be intensely creepy.

Isabella's disturbed expression made him ask, "What's wrong? What are you reading about?"

Her voice oozed with fear and dread. "Phineas, this is bad...I checked out the chapter on Oberon's Heir, and you won't believe this!" She cleared her throat and began to read. "_The story is told, though who can say if it's true, that when the world first began, Lord Oberon was not the ruler of Avalon. That title belonged to Queen Mab, an insane and violent Unseelie faerie whose reign was one of chaos, fear and nightmares. She terrorized mortals and made life unbearable for all on Avalon and Earth alike. When Oberon was of age and married Titania, she began to fear that her son would overthrow her, setting off a chain of events that began a thousand year war. During that time, Titania gave birth to a son, who would be the heir of Oberon and the next ruler of the faeries. Queen Mab knew that she and her Unseelie horde were losing and in a fit of rage, desperation and spite...killed Titania and Oberon's son._"

Phineas seemed hooked. Although he still had distaste for the Seelie Ruler, a twinge of sorrow hit him when he learned this. Isabella moved on. "_With his grief and the love of his son's memory, Oberon found the strength to overthrow his mother and become ruler of Avalon. Mab was imprisoned in molten iron in the center of the earth under Tory Island, and remains there to this day. His son became a Will o the Wisp and still serves under his father. It is said that soon, Mab will rise again and bring her reign of terror with her!_" She blinked, looking at the book incredulously. "Hey, how does this thing know that?" She coughed. "Anyway, _it is also said that since Oberon's son can no longer claim the throne, the title of Faerie Prince will go to a mortal heir, pictured here._"

Phineas shrugged. "Why are you worried?"

Isabella bit her lip. "Phineas, just **look **at this picture!" She held up the book of mythology and showed him a sight enough to give him an aneurism; the wood carving of the Oberon's Heir to the throne looked exactly like his brother.

"I gotta go check on him!" Phin took Isabella's hand and ran with her into the bedroom...

...Just in time to see Ferb vanish in a flash of light.

_**[A/N: -Dies- This chapter killed me. But I hope you like it. I tried to incorporate different faerie legends as well as adding my own spin on things. In history, I don't think Oberon or Titania bore any children, but it was for the story. And if you're wondering why Oberon didn't recognize Ferb as his heir the first time around, it's because he's aged and changed a lot since then. -Kaylee]**_


End file.
